The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-07-21
FCn YOUNG LAWYERS.
Ben Butler Giving Students Points on the
Practice of Law.

Ben Butler Giving Students Points on the
Practice of Law.
General Butler delivered an address
before the senior class of law in POston
University recently. He said in part:
have come here, not to make
speech to you, not TO discuss questions
of law, bat ut Your invitation to speak
of the practice of law and to point out
some of the shoals which have troubled
me in practice of nearly forty-seven
years as varied and extensive as that
Of most men. The first thing / want
to tell you il the duty of a lawyer.
The most important thing is absolute
ruth and fidelity to your client FL
ielity to client means several things:
First, as an adviser or director of his
Affairs i'll legal aspects, but it includes
something more. You are to defend his
interests in every possible honorable
way. What is a lawyers duty in GRIM
!lnal cases toward a guilty man?
Wouldn't he defend himself if he could.
and doesn't TIE court assign lawyer
for his defense? You can defend him
more easily if you know he is guilty
than YOU can if he is innocent, for SEN
timent comes in. Next, never defend
a guilty man until you know he is
guilty. He thinks, if he tells you the
truth, you won't defend him rightly.
If he doesn't tell you the truth
YOU can't defend him rightly. The
next thing l want to impress upon
you is: Never trade with your client.
You always have the advantage of your
client. Again, l need not say: Don't
disclose your clients secrets, for it is so
seldom done that one may say it is not
done at all. Despite the common jeers.
we have more secrets disclosed to us
than men of any other profession, not
excepting the priesthood. Another
matter to which l wish to call your
attention is the matter of making wills.
A lawyer is called in to make a will by
The son of a dying man. He is the coun-
sci of the dying man only. Again. very
frequently, man about dying wants you
for executor. Never intrude yourself
upon him. but have some other
member of the family made co-executor
with you, and it will save yourself a
world of trouble. While 1 tell you to
10 this, don't think you will lose any
thing by so doing, as You have all the
applause" that properly belongs to
you. Again, a lawyer never ought to
act as a broker, banker or business
agent for his client, except in business
connected with his legal rights.
Get your clients full case without
reservation, else you will lose your case
and you must not lose your first cases.
for you will be employed for the
plaintiff. Defendants don't employ
young lawyers. L lose three cases
now where l lost one at twenty-five
years of age. Now l come in for old
cases, cases that have been tried, that
are in all conditions, after the client is
dead and buried. In your professional
conduct with your associates be upon a
proper footing of honorable conduct,
and let your professional brothers
understand your honor. My rule is to
keep my verbal agreement with my as
sociates as they understood it. but when
man asks me to sign, always try to
get around it. Another motto. stand
by your own opinions under all circum-
stances-not because they are always
right If you are floorcd by decision
that is not supported by precedent.
always take exception to the ruling OF
the Judge, for it will give you time to
look it over at your leisure. You will
be wrong sometimes, my young friends,
in your points of law, as 1 have been
many times, but stand by your own
opinions and try the points. You will
succeed in some of them.-Boston Cor.
~ y Tribune.